The Ties That Bind
by EmAino
Summary: (Complete)When Ed is taken hostage by an old nemesis, it's up to Danny and the rest of the Montecito crew to get him back before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1: Nothing Out of the Ordinary

Author's note: Insert usual disclaimer about not owning the show nor the characters here.   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter One: Nothing Out of the Ordinary  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Yawning as he did so, Danny McCoy put his feet up on the wooden desk in front of him. The tall, brown-haired ex-Marine had just started the second half of a double shift working as a security guard at the Montecito Resort and Casino. After rubbing the weariness out of his eyes, Danny stretched his arms out above him. The casino's peak hours had just ended, so things would be realtively quiet for now. Not good when one was bored out of their mind, like Danny was.   
  
"How many times do I gotta tell you to get your feet off of the furniture?" a stern-looking, gray-haired man asked as he swatted Danny's feet off of the desk. Heading home after a long couple of days of work, Ed Deline was in no mood for anything from his protégé. "You got my cell-phone number?"   
  
"Of course." Danny replied, rolling his eyes. "I've also got the numbers for Jillian's cell-phone, the movie theater, the restaurant you're going to, and your home phone." He smiled at Ed as he leaned furthur back in his chair. "How are you ever going to retire if you can't trust me to run this place for a few hours? You just enjoy your time with Jillian, and don't even think about the Montecito." Danny frowned slightly and sighed. "Besides, peak hours are over, so I doubt you'll miss much."   
  
"Yeah, you're right." Ed said, clapping Danny on the back as he headed for the door. "Goodnight, Danny."  
  
"Later, Ed." Danny replied, watching his mentor walk out the door. Shaking his head, Danny chuckled slightly. He knew that he could expect a call at least every twenty minutes from Ed. The older man must have thought that the Montecito turned into utter chaos when he wasn't around.   
  
"Hey, Danny." Mitch, another security guard, called, "We've got something in the employee parking lot."  
  
"Really?" Danny asked, getting up immediately and heading over to the wheelchair-bound man's side. "What's up?"  
  
Mitch didn't need to say anything as it was clear by looking on the nearby monitor what was up. Two heavy-set guys were loitering around in the parking lot, conversing about something. Every now and then, they would survey the lot to make sure that it was deserted besides themselves. Suddenly, they turned away from the camera and one of the men pointed at something.  
  
"Can we see what they're looking at?" Danny asked, glancing at Mitch.  
  
"Sure thing." Mitch replied, cueing up another camera on the monitor. A cherry red Hummer H2 appeared on the screen, and Danny could feel worry suddenly surge through him. The only employee who drove that kind of car was Ed Deline himself.  
  
Suddenly, something glinted on the ground near one of the cars, which caught Danny's brown eyes. He pointed at the monitor.  
  
"Push in on that really quick." he requested, causing Mitch to punch in some more keys. The camera zoomed in on the object that appeared to be a metal ball bat of some kind. Danny's eyes grew wide with fear as he realized that the guys must be waiting for Ed, who was about to walk into a mob beating. "Mitch, call the police."  
  
"Gotcha." Mitch nodded as Danny bolted out of the surveillance room. He had to get to Ed before the guys in the parking lot did!  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
To be continued... 


	2. Chapter 2: Spiraling

Chapter Two: Spiraling  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As he heard the door to the building shut behind him, Ed sighed in relief and ran a hand slowly through his hair. He took a moment to glance up at the full moon, which was just barely visible through the parking structure. He thought about how much time he had been spending away from home lately, and how little he had seen of his family. Sure, he saw his daughter, Delinda, every day now because she worked at the Montecito, but if that weren't the case, Ed would probably never see his daughter. Hell, he couldn't remember the last evening he had spent at home with his wife, Jillian. However, he was going to start making up for that tonight by taking Mrs. Deline out to a nice dinner and a movie. Ed decided that he would figure out something nice to do for Delinda later…but only if she didn't go out with Danny again.   
  
Noticing the two men standing in the parking lot, Ed stopped walking. They definitely weren't Montecito employees, so he questioned what they were doing there. From the thug-like look of them, Ed surmised that whatever the two were up to, it was no good. They must have heard his footsteps, because they slowly turned around to face Ed. One of them was slightly skinnier than the other one, and he furrowed his brow upon seeing Deline.   
  
"Ed Deline?" he asked in a gruff tone.  
  
"Yeah." Ed replied before suddenly feeling someone grab his arms from behind. Two other men had snuck up on him, and, even though Ed was no weakling himself, they overpowered him. His cold blue eyes fixed on the two in front of him. "What do you punks want?"  
  
Just as the skinnier one looked about to answer his question, the door to the lot was heard opening. Ed could feel his stomach sink as he realized that these thugs would probably not appreciate an innocent bystander at the moment.  
  
"Ed!" Danny shouted, seeing the scene in front of him.  
  
"Oh, God." Ed said to himself. He remembered then that there was at least one camera nearby, and they could see what was happening up in the surveillance room. However, Ed had to question what his protégé was thinking. There was no way in hell that he could deal with all of these goons on his own! He tried to turn his head to see Danny. "Get out of here, kid!"  
  
"I'm not leaving you." Danny replied as Ed could feel one of the men holding him lurch forward as if being hit in the back. The two goons in front raced back to where Danny was. As Ed couldn't see what was happening, he had to rely on sound to tell him what was going on. Realizing that the only noise that he heard from Danny were cries of pain, Ed tried desperately to free himself from the two men. However, they seemed to only tighten their grip whenever he struggled. There was no escape!   
  
"That's enough." the skinnier goon ordered.  
  
"Aw, come on." his companion whined as Ed could hear Danny react as if being kicked in the stomach. "I just want to bust up that pretty face of his."  
  
"We've done enough damage to him." the skinnier one said as Ed could feel the two men behind him turning him around. "Your lapdog ain't looking so good now, Deline."  
  
A very bruised and bloodied Danny lay barely conscious on the asphalt, groaning softly. Ed turned his head at the mere sight, but he could feel one of the goons behind him turn his head back towards the scene. Ed was pleased to see that the two attackers also had a couple of bumps and bruises, but his face fell upon noticing that fatter one also held a metal ball bat.  
  
"We just going to leave him here?" one of the goons holding Ed asked, nodding at Danny.  
  
"Why not?" the skinnier man asked with a shrug. "Someone's got to tell them that we've got Deline." He reached into his coat and tossed a loaded syringe at the man who had just spoken. "Go ahead and drug Deline already. We're wasting time."  
  
"All right." the speaker said as Ed felt a syringe enter the back of his neck.  
  
"You bastards." Danny said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth as he got to a knee. "You're not going anywhere!"  
  
"Damn it." Ed winced as the medicine started to take effect. He tried to fight off the darkness, which threatened to overwhelm him at any moment. He had to see what happened to Danny.  
  
"Mouthy one, aren't you?" the skinnier ringleader asked before hitting Danny on the back of the head. It was enough to send McCoy to the ground again, and that was the last sight Ed Deline saw before unconsciousness claimed him.  
  
Although the darkness was calling to him, Danny somehow managed to stay conscious long enough to watch as the mysterious attackers loaded the unconscious Ed into the back of a van before climbing in themselves. As he helplessly watched the van pull out of the Montecito parking lot, Danny tried to get up again.  
  
"Ed…" he said in a barely audible voice. He extended his arm towards the fleeing vehicle as if trying to grab it somehow. "No…"   
  
To be continued... 


	3. Chapter 3: Good News Travels Fast

Chapter Three: Good News Travels Fast  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The news of the incident in the employee parking lot spread through the casino like wild fire through dry brush. Even at the late hour of three in the morning, employee and guest alike ventured out to look at what was left of the crime scene. The lot had been taped off and police were everywhere, looking for clues and trying to reenact what had happened. The general public didn't know the specifics of who was involved or what happened, but it was an established fact that some guy had been brutally assaulted.  
  
Sighing, a dark blonde woman pushed her way through the crowd, trying to get to the front. Mary Connell was the Special Events Coordinator for the Montecito, and had heard about the incident a few moments ago while stepping onto the casino floor. As she reached the front of the line, she looked around for her best friend, Danny McCoy. A puzzled look appeared in her eyes as she noticed that neither her nor Ed Deline were anywhere to be seen.  
  
"Mary!" a woman's voice called. Connell looked over to see an African American woman waving at her from near Ed's Hummer, where some of the Montecito employees had gathered. Ducking under the police tape, she quickly ran over to join them.   
  
"Hi." she greeted, looking at the group. Sam was comforting a hysterical-looking Delinda, while Mike, who had been off on his own, walked over and joined Nessa, who had waved Mary over. "What's going on? I heard that someone was assaulted out here." She looked at Mike and Nessa. "Where are Danny and Ed?"  
  
Upon hearing her father's name, Delinda broke down and started sobbing. She buried her face in Sam's chest. A look of concern flashed upon Mary's face.  
  
"Oh, God." Mary gasped as another police car was heard pulling into the lot. "It wasn't Ed, was it?"   
  
"No, it wasn't Ed." Mike replied, shaking his head.   
  
"Then, who was it?" Mary asked curious.  
  
"It was me, Mary."  
  
All eyes turned to see Danny, who had just gotten out of the passenger side of the newly arrived police car. On the surface, he appeared to be okay as there were no visible bruises or scratches on his face. However, due to a mild concussion and a few bruised ribs, he was still in a lot of pain.  
  
"You?" Mary repeated as she walked over to him. Her dark eyes surveyed his entire body. "Oh my God, Danny."  
  
"I'll be fine, Mary." he assured, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Besides a lot of scrapes and bruises, I've just got a couple of bruised ribs and a little concussion." He rubbed her shoulder gently. "I'm going to be just fine."  
  
"What about my father?" Delinda asked frantically as Danny and Mary slowly rejoined the group. "Where is he?"  
  
"I don't know." Danny shook his head, feeling angry with himself. "The last thing I remember was seeing the goons behind this throwing him into the back of a van and taking off." He looked up at Delinda. "I've got no idea where they were going."  
  
"Some help you are." Delinda commented angrily.   
  
"I know." Danny agreed sadly. He slowly turned and walked over to where Luis Perez, a close friend of his and a detective with the Clark County Sheriff's Department, was standing. The Latino man turned upon hearing Danny walk over. "Thanks again for bringing me out here."  
  
"No problem, man." Luis smiled before nodding at the Montecito group. "How are they holding up?"   
  
"Like you'd expect." Danny replied, "You find these bastards yet?"   
  
"We've apparently found the van." Luis said, looking at Danny. "Stranded in the desert, burning."   
  
"Damn it." Danny swore quietly.   
  
"We're doing everything we can, Danny." Luis assured, "However, you and I both know that Ed has a lot of enemies that are capable of making him disappear like this. It's going to be hard to track him down."   
  
"That sounds optimistic." Danny commented with a sarcastic smile.  
  
"It's the truth though." Luis shrugged.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As consciousness slowly returned to him, Ed Deline groaned. His head felt so heavy that he thought that it might fall off of him at any second. He tried to clear his blurry eyes with his hand, but they wouldn't move. It was then that Deline realized that his hands had been bound together behind him and the chair he was sitting on.  
  
Shaking his head, Ed looked around the small room he was in. It appeared to have been used as an office sometime ago, but everything appeared to be too run down now to be functional. There was a desk facing him and behind that another chair. The facing wall had a huge window that looked down below, but Ed was too far away to see what was there. He could just make out that it was a window into another room and not to the exterior.   
  
"Where the hell am I?" he said to himself.   
  
"Your own personal hell." a familiar voice said from behind him.   
  
To be continued... 


	4. Chapter 4: Shadows Emerge

Chapter Four: Shadows Emerge  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As the sun began to come up over the horizon, Danny found himself alone in the employee parking lot. The crime scene tape had disappeared as the police had apparently gathered all of the evidence they had wanted to. As he sat on the hood of his own yellow and black convertible, his brown eyes quickly glanced at the red Hummer H2 that was parked next to him. Letting out a sigh of despair, he looked at the lot in front of him. All he could think about was how he had let Ed down by not fighting back harder.  
  
Suddenly not wanting to think anymore, he quickly hopped off of his car. The noise and bustle of the casino floor would take his mind off of things. It was at that precise moment that his cell-phone chose to ring. Hoping for some sort of adrenaline rush, like chasing down a cheater, Danny answered it quickly.  
  
"Danny McCoy."   
  
"Danny, it's Mitch." came the reply. "You'd better get up here to the surveillance room. Brunson's on the line in Ed's office, and he doesn't sound happy."  
  
"Great." Danny replied sarcastically. Brunson was the owner of the Montecito, who made Ed look like a carefree individual. Dealing with him wouldn't be easy.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"That voice." Ed said to himself as the lights in the room came on. He turned his head to see a younger, dark-haired, dark-eyed man standing in the doorway of the room. As a smile appeared on his face, the stranger walked casually over to the desk in front of Ed.   
  
"Surprised to see me?" the man asked, sitting down on the desk. It was Jack Keller, Ed's former protégé from his CIA days. The two had last seen each other a few months ago when Keller had tried to rip off the Montecito, only to be stopped by one of Ed's plans.   
  
"What the hell is this about, Jack?" Ed asked, glaring at the man in front of him.   
  
"Payback for last time." Keller replied with a grin. "Much like yourself, no one gets the better of me and gets away with it." He leaned forward slightly. "So, how much do you think Brunson's going to cough up for your safe return?"   
  
"You can't come up with anything better than the hostage shtick?" Ed chuckled slightly. He shook his head. "You really didn't learn anything from me."  
  
"Careful, Ed." Keller replied, "I don't want to kill you before I have to."   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Letting out a cry of anger, Danny threw his wadded up jacket and tie across the room. He had just gotten off the phone with Brunson, who only seemed to care about the Montecito's image and not the safety of one Ed Deline. Sinking into Ed's usual chair, Danny put his head in his hands and stared at the floor. The ex-Marine couldn't help, but think that he could have done more to prevent what had happened. He should have noticed the men in the parking lot earlier. He should have brought reinforcements with him. If anything, he should have fought back harder.   
  
As he lifted his head, Danny looked at Ed's desk. Pictures of the Deline family stood out among the various papers scattered upon it. Ed's spirit still lingered heavily in the room. After he slowly grabbed one of the photographs, Danny stared at Ed, who smiled unwaveringly back at him.  
  
"What in the hell do I do now?" he asked the picture quietly. "What would you do?" He smiled as he realized that Ed would already be launching some sort of rescue. "Well, actually, I know what you would do." He frowned slightly. "But, I'm not you. I'm not sure that I can do what needs to be done."  
  
"You know what Ed would say to that?" Mary asked, getting Danny's attention. The dark blonde woman stood in the doorway of the office. Danny didn't know how long she had been standing there, or what she heard.   
  
"What?" Danny wondered as Mary walked over.  
  
"Damn it, McCoy. I don't have time for excuses." Mary smiled, putting a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.  
  
"That's true." Danny chuckled, "He never has taken anything from me." He looked up at Mary, who had a serious look on her face. "What's up?"  
  
"Luis called." she reported, "They've just arrested one of the attackers from yesterday."  
  
To be Continued...... 


	5. Chapter 5: Going Nowhere

Chapter Five: Going Nowhere  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Danny!" Luis greeted as McCoy walked into the police station.   
  
"I want to see him, Luis." Danny replied, trying to walk past the detective.  
  
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Luis said, grabbing Danny's arm.  
  
"I can't face my own attacker?" Danny questioned, freeing his arm.   
  
"So, you can get revenge for what he did to you and Ed?" Luis replied. He shook his head at Danny. "No."   
  
There was an uneasy moment of tension and silence between the two men. Both stared steadfastly at each other. Finally, Danny sighed in defeat and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"I only want to question him, Luis." Danny said weakly. "To find out if he knows something about Ed." He looked up at Luis. "Can't I do that at least?"   
  
"Only if you promise to behave yourself." Luis relented after a moment of thought.  
  
After leading Danny down a series of hallways, Luis finally came to a stop outside of a windowed room. Inside, a man was sitting alone at a table. Danny recognized him immediately as the heavy-set one who had wielded the ball bat in the previous day's encounter.  
  
"You sure you want to do this?" Luis asked, looking at Danny.   
  
"Yeah." Danny replied as Luis opened the door.  
  
"Mr. King," Luis greeted as he walked inside the room. "I'm sure you remember Mr. McCoy."   
  
"You're looking better, pretty boy." King sneered as he caught sight of Danny, who sat down across from him.   
  
"Where did you guys take Ed?" Danny demanded.  
  
"Like I'd tell you that." King laughed, shaking his head. "You've got no authority to question me."   
  
"I do." Luis reminded firmly, "You answer his question."   
  
"I'm not telling either one of you anything." King said as Luis nodded to the window. Two guards immediately came into the room.   
  
"Take this punk out of here." Luis ordered as the guards led King away.   
  
"That was a waste of time." Danny remarked as the door slammed shut.   
  
"We'll find him, Danny." Luis assured, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll find Ed before it's too late."   
  
"It may already be too late." Danny commented, standing up.   
  
Remaining silent for a moment, Luis stared at his friend. Just from the way he was pacing and his general attitude that day, the detective could tell that Danny was growing increasingly frustrated at doing nothing to find Deline. However, whoever had abducted Ed was extremely dangerous and Danny probably wouldn't be able to stop them. Luis sighed slightly.   
  
"Maybe you should try to do this on your own." Luis remarked, getting Danny's attention.  
  
"Pardon?" Danny asked, turning and facing Luis.   
  
"We both know all of the red tape that goes with an investigation." Luis said, "We might be too late to save Ed." He looked sincerely at Danny. "But if some vigilante were to take the law into his own hands…" He shrugged. "However, it's basically walking into your own grave."   
  
"I won't be walking." Danny smiled, "I'll be running!"   
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Those restraints aren't coming off, Ed." Keller said as he watched Ed try to slip off whatever bound his hands behind him.  
  
"You make that ransom demand yet?" Ed asked, not giving any indication that he had just heard the younger man. He was still furiously trying to get the restraints off.   
  
"I think I'll give them another day to dwell upon what may have happened to you." Keller replied as he moved from sitting on the desk to sitting in the chair behind it. "However, I did talk to my people in Vegas." He put his feet up on the desk. "I'm surprised you haven't asked about McCoy."   
  
Ed stopped messing with his handcuffs upon hearing his current protégé's last name. As the memory of how bad Danny had looked when Ed had last seen him entered his mind, Ed closed his eyes tightly. He hoped to God that the thugs had quit attacking him after they drugged Ed.   
  
"You can relax." Keller said, "Kid's apparently only got a few bruised ribs and a slight concussion. Nothing more than a warning." He smiled at Ed. "I never wanted Danny to get hurt, but he should have been…"   
  
"You even suggest that he deserved what he got, I'll…" Ed threatened, causing Keller to laugh hysterically.   
  
"You'll what, Ed?" Keller said through his laughter. "Glare me to death? Talk my ear off? What?"   
  
As Keller continued to laugh, Ed sighed in defeat. He knew that Keller was right, and any threats he made at the moment were empty ones. He could only sit, glare and wait for his revenge, when and if it came.   
  
To be continued.... 


	6. Chapter 6: Allies

Chapter Six: Allies  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Looks like it's going to be one of those days." Danny commented to himself as he walked up the walkway to the front door of his house. It was only noon, and Danny felt exhausted, due to either his medication, a lack of sleep, or the sheer stress of the Ed situation. As he reached around in his pocket for his keys, the door in front of him opened. To Danny's puzzlement, Nessa Holt stood on the other side, waiting for him.   
  
"Mary let me in before she left for work." Nessa commented before smiling at him. "I think she's set on staying with you for a few days." She looked quizzically at Danny. "Find out anything at the station?"   
  
"No." Danny shook his head as he walked inside. "The guy wouldn't talk." He looked at Nessa. "So, what are you doing here?"   
  
"I wanted to talk to you actually." Nessa replied, "However, it can probably wait until you've had some food and a good nap." She looked sympathetically at Danny. "You look like you could use both."   
  
"Food sounds good." Danny replied as he headed towards the kitchen. To his surprise, he found a hamburger and fries already waiting for him on the kitchen table. Nessa smiled as she clapped a hand on his shoulder.   
  
"Mary left that for you." she explained, "I'm supposed to make you eat it, even if I have to cram it down your throat." She paused. "At least I think that those were Mary and Sam's exact words."   
  
"Sam's been here?" the surprised Danny asked as Nessa pushed him into a seat. He wondered when his house had turned into the new hangout spot.  
  
"Well," Nessa explained, sitting down across from him. "We've all been worried about you, Danny, and we all feel bad that we weren't there for you."  
  
"It would have been worse if you guys had been there." Danny replied, make a ketchup spiral on his plate with one of his fries. "Besides, there wasn't much anybody could do about it." He sighed, and dropped the fry. "Well, anybody except me anyway."   
  
"Are you still on about that?" Nessa remarked, rolling her eyes. Danny looked at her, puzzled at what she meant. "Mary told me that you've been feeling sorry for yourself. Feeling as if there's something you could have done." She shook her head. "There was nothing more that you could have done though, Danny. You fought back as hard as you could, and you had no way of knowing what those guys were going to do. Just let it go."   
  
"I can't let it go." Danny replied, looking to the floor. "But I know what I can do to make it up to Ed."  
  
"What?" Nessa inquired.  
  
"I'm going to find out where he is." Danny answered, looking back at her. "And I'm going to get him back."  
  
"I was hoping you'd say that." Nessa smiled, crossing her legs. "I had the same idea, and was looking for a partner."   
  
"It's a dangerous mission, Ness." Danny replied, looking square into her eyes. "If you go, you may not come back."   
  
"Ed Deline has been like a father to me." Nessa pointed out, "I owe it to him as much as you do to do this." She grinned slightly. "Besides, I doubt you have the specifics of how to obtain his location figured out anyway."  
  
"You know how to find Ed?" Danny asked amazed.  
  
"Yep." Nessa nodded, "Mike figured it out while we were out last night."   
  
"Whoa!" Danny asked, putting a hand up. "You and Mike?"  
  
"That's not important." Nessa smiled. She nodded at the untouched food on Danny's plate. "We'll meet up with him the minute you eat that and grab a quick nap."  
  
"Deal." Danny replied, picking up his burger.   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"What's up, guys?" Mike asked as Nessa and Danny entered Ed's office an hour later.  
  
"I told him about our plan." Nessa replied, nodding towards Danny.   
  
"Yeah, I knew he was crazy enough to go along with it." Mike said, putting his hands on his hips. He looked at Danny. "You know that this is a suicide mission, right?"  
  
"We've all got to go sometime, Mike." Danny replied with a smile. He looked at the computer in front of him. "So, Nessa said you knew how to get Ed's location?"  
  
"Yep." Mike said as Sam entered the room. "Me and Ms. Marquez were just testing it out and it works like a charm." He looked at Danny. "You see, we make a call to Ed's cell-phone using this phone right here, and we trace the signal." He smiled. "Simple, yet brilliant."  
  
"Yeah." Danny nodded, wondering why he hadn't thought of it before. He knew Ed had his cell-phone with him when he left, so there was a chance that he may have it now. "Can we…"  
  
"Sure." Mike said, typing something into the computer. He tossed the handset to the phone at Danny. "Whenever you're ready."  
  
To be continued... 


	7. Chapter 7: A Little More Conversation

Chapter Seven: A Little More Conversation  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As Ed's cell phone rang out, both Ed and Keller looked at his pocket. The gray-haired man had to wonder who was so brilliant as to try calling his cell phone, knowing they may be able to get a location from it.  
  
"Someone's actually thinking." Keller remarked, taking the cell phone out of Ed's pocket. He looked at the Caller ID. "Someone in your office." He put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"  
  
A look of surprise appeared on Danny's face as he instantly recognized the speaker. Although he didn't know why, as Jack Keller was certainly capable of kidnapping Ed and making him disappear.   
  
"Jack?" Danny asked to make sure. "Jack Keller?"   
  
"How you feeling, McCoy?" Jack greeted with a slight chuckle. Hearing the familiar last name, Ed listened closely.  
  
"You're the one who took Ed." Danny assumed.   
  
"Bingo." Keller replied with a smile. Saying nothing else, Keller set the phone down on the desk. He then walked behind Ed and undid the other man's cuffs. Ed rubbed his aching shoulders. "You try anything funny, Deline, and I'll have my men in Vegas go after the Montecito and your family." He smiled. "Just let the kid know that you're all right."   
  
"Got it." Ed agreed, picking up the phone. "Danny."  
  
"Ed!" Danny said happily, getting the group's attention. "Is that really you?"  
  
"Don't ask stupid questions." Ed replied gruffly. He smiled as he realized that Danny sounded completely healthy. "How are things holding up?"  
  
"Not the same without you." Danny replied as the office door creaked open. An older woman with curly blonde hair stood in the doorway, looking at the group in front of her. It was Jillian Deline, Ed's wife. "Ed, hang on a moment."   
  
"Ed?" Jillian asked in a barely audible tone.  
  
"We've got him on the phone." Danny replied, putting the handset to his chest. "You can talk to him if you want." He offered the phone to Jillian, who took it slowly.   
  
"Eddie?" she asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.  
  
"Hey sweetheart." Ed greeted with a smile. A warm feeling came over him as he heard his wife's voice.   
  
  
  
"I miss you." Jillian commented, her voice breaking.  
  
"I miss you too." Ed nodded, "This will all be over soon, Jillian."  
  
"I hope so." Jillian replied, wiping a few tears away. "Don't worry about me and Delinda. Everyone's taking really good care of us."  
  
"I'm glad to hear that." Ed smiled, "You try not to worry about me either, all right?"   
  
"I love you, Eddie." Jillian said quietly.   
  
"I love you too, Jillian." Ed replied, "Give Delinda an extra big hug for me."   
  
"Okay." Jillian agreed as she slowly gave the phone back to Danny. Silently, she then walked over to the window and stared at the surveillance room below.   
  
"You there, Ed?" Danny asked before not getting a reply. "Ed?"   
  
"Sorry." Keller said, taking the phone from Ed. "But I've had to cut short his phone privileges."  
  
"You're not going to get away with this, Keller." Danny replied firmly.   
  
"Really?" Keller chuckled as Ed listened in. "Face it, McCoy. You can't do a damn thing about this, and you know it."   
  
"You're wrong." Danny said angrily as his brow furrowed in determination. "I don't care what I have to do or how long it takes. I will hunt you and Ed down, and I will make you pay for everything you've done. Am I clear?"   
  
"You can talk the talk, kid," Keller said with a smile. "But let's see if you can walk the walk." He cuffed the non-resistant Ed Deline once again. "I've got no doubts that you're running a tracer program on this call. Let me assure you that your mentor and I aren't going anywhere." An angry look appeared on his face. "You want to play hero? Take your best shot!"  
  
"Don't worry." Danny replied confidently. "I will."   
  
As the line went dead, Danny slowly put the phone back on the receiver. He looked at Mike, who was typing something into the computer. As a screen appeared, the African American man looked up at Danny.   
  
"So," Mike asked, "what do you know about Panama?"   
  
"Panama?" Danny repeated, wondering what that had to do with anything.   
  
"That's where Ed is." Mike clarified, gesturing to the computer screen. "Panama."   
  
"How in the hell are we supposed to get there?" Nessa asked as Danny rubbed his forehead in frustration.   
  
"Well," Sam suggested, "I have a few clients who do owe me favors." She frowned. "Other than that, I know that the Montecito jet is free for the time being. The only problem with that is that we would need an okay from Brunson since it's not client-related." She looked at Danny. "But you could take care of that, couldn't you?"   
  
"I guess I could try." Danny shrugged. Smiling widely, Sam gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Danny turned his attention back to Mike and Nessa. "Well, we can't just walk in there empty-handed. However, I've got no clue where to even begin getting the amount of hardware we're going to need."   
  
"Don't worry about that." Jillian said, turning away from the window. She walked slowly over to the group. "Ed's got a little stash from his CIA days." She smiled fondly. "Of course, I've been begging him to get rid of it forever, but he just won't part with it." She chuckled, hiding tears. "Kind of ironic actually."   
  
"We'll drop tonight to pick it up." Nessa said, taking the older woman's hand in her own. "I need to get back to the floor, but you will call me if you need anything, right?"   
  
"Yeah." Jillian nodded as Mike came up to her.   
  
"Same here?" he asked, hugging the older woman.  
  
"Of course." Jillian said, hugging him back.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As Keller hung up the phone, Ed smiled widely. Due to the volume being turned up on the phone, he had heard every word of Danny and Keller's conversation. It was just like his protégé not to think things entirely through. Had the thought that he might be killed even entered Danny's mind? Shaking his head, Ed knew that that wouldn't deter the younger man from trying to find him. You just couldn't reason with Danny when he had his mind made up.   
  
"I don't see what you're smiling about." Keller said, noticing Ed's reaction. "Except that the kid just bought you some more time." He smiled slightly. "I think I'm going to wait on killing you until after I kill him."   
  
"Danny might be out of his league," Ed commented, looking into Keller's eyes. "But he's got more heart than anyone I've ever known. You're a dead man walking, Keller!"   
  
"You think so?" Keller asked, standing in front of Ed.   
  
Nodding, Ed suddenly felt Keller connect a hard, right hand to his face. Still feeling the pain, Ed turned his head slowly back towards Keller and glared at the younger man.  
  
To be continued... 


	8. Chapter 8: The Wheels Start to Turn

Chapter Eight: The Wheels Start to Turn  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Slamming down the phone, Danny kicked over a nearby trashcan. Jillian, who was looking back out at the surveillance room, turned around instantly.   
  
"I'm guessing Brunson said no." she commented as Danny sat down at Ed's desk. He nodded silently back at her. "That figures. Ed always says that, based on his dealings with him, he's not sure that Brunson even has a heart."  
  
"I'm inclined to believe that." Danny replied, putting his head in his hands. "I just hope that Sam can convince one of her clients to let us use a plane. There's no way we could get those weapons on a commercial flight!"   
  
"Don't worry about that." Jillian assured, putting a hand on Danny's shoulder. "If worse comes to worse, I think Ed has a few contacts from his CIA days that would be more than happy to help us out."  
  
Just as Danny was about to reply, Sam walked into the office with a huge smile on her face.   
  
"Tell me how much I rock." she said, looking at Danny.  
  
"That all depends on what you're smiling about." Danny replied, smiling back at her.  
  
"One of my clients has agreed to let us use his private plane." Sam replied, plopping down on Danny's lap. He groaned slightly due to his injuries. "And his pilot is a native of Panama, who knows a few private airstrips that would be perfect for launching a covert operation at."  
  
"Awesome." Danny remarked, hugging Sam. "You do rock."  
  
"I know." Sam replied with a smile. She hopped off of Danny's lap. "I already told Nessa and Mike the good news." She looked at Jillian. "When do you want us to come by and grab the weaponry?"  
  
"As soon as possible." Jillian suggested, "After all, Ed's time might be running out as we speak."  
  
"Let's round up Mike and Nessa then." Danny said, looking at Sam.   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Damn!" Mike remarked as Jillian opened the door to a small room off of the Deline's basement. Ever kind of gun and hand-explosive imaginable seemed to be laying on rows of shelves, well represented. Astonished, Danny turned to Jillian as the others began looking around.   
  
"And nobody's called Homeland Security about this?" he asked, turning back to the arsenal.  
  
"I won't tell if you won't." Jillian replied, grabbing a nearby pistol. With a sigh of sadness, she handed it to Danny. "This one is Ed's favorite. Apparently, it's gotten him out of a lot messes." She smiled. "I think it would appropriate for you to use it get him back."   
  
"Thanks." Danny said, gently taking it. "I promise I'll take good care of it."   
  
"Anyone know how to use these things?" Mike asked, turning near a row of explosives. Nessa picked one up and light-heartedly juggled it.   
  
"I've used a grenade similar to this one." she remarked, getting the room's attention. To everyone's knowledge, Holt had never spent any time in the military, so they questioned how she had experience. She shrugged slightly. "It was a night of partying that didn't end very well."   
  
"Mom?" Delinda asked as she stood in the doorway of the room. Her blue eyes surveyed the four people in front of her. No one had seen much of the blonde-haired woman since the parking lot meeting that morning. From looks alone, one could tell that she hadn't been sleeping well and was prone to having long fits of sobbing.   
  
"You should be upstairs resting." Jillian said, putting a hand on Delinda's shoulder.   
  
"What are they doing here?" Delinda inquired, nodding at the four.   
  
"Why don't I take you up to your room?" Danny offered gently. "I'll explain everything on the way."  
  
"You're going to rescue him, aren't you?" Delinda asked after a moment of thought. A hopeful look appeared in her eyes. "I want to go with you."  
  
"You can't." Danny shook his head as Delinda stared at him.   
  
"What do you mean I can't?" she inquired, putting a hand to her chest. "He's my father!"   
  
"It's too dangerous." Danny replied frankly. He also knew that Ed would kill him if he let Delinda come along.  
  
"You're letting them go!" Delinda protested, gesturing to Sam and Nessa, who, like Mike and Jillian, were silently watching.   
  
"They can take care of themselves." Danny said, "You'd only get in the way."   
  
McCoy could feel his head turn sideways as Delinda slapped him powerfully across the face. Saying nothing, he slowly brought a hand up to his cheek.   
  
"You bastard!" Delinda screamed, "You're the only reason my father's even missing in the first place!"   
  
"Delinda!" Jillian called after her now-sobbing daughter, who ran out of the room. She put a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder. "Don't listen to her."  
  
Jillian ran out of the room after Delinda. As the door closed again, Danny dropped his hand. His gaze, however, remained fixed to the floor.  
  
"Danny?" Sam asked gently.  
  
"You guys pack up." Danny said quietly before walking out of the room.   
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Jack?" Ed asked when he finally recovered from the punch the younger man had landed on him. Keller simply scowled before punching Ed in the stomach. As Deline reacted, Keller simply walked to the doorway of the room.   
  
"Get some rest, old man." Keller said as he turned off the light. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that you don't miss all of the fun."   
  
As the door shut behind Keller, Ed was immersed in total darkness and silence. He lifted his head and shifted as much as he could in his seat. Danny was probably on his way, or close to leaving for wherever Deline was right now. He could only pray that Danny would be fully prepared for whatever Keller was going to throw his way. Ed's thoughts then shifted to the others at the Montecito. What were they doing now? Were any of them in on Danny's plan?   
  
Feeling his eyelids get heavier, Ed yawned before closing them. Perhaps a little sleep wouldn't do him too much harm.   
  
To be continued..... 


	9. Chapter 9: Voices of Support

Chapter Nine: Voices of Support  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Staring at the headstone in front of him, Danny hugged his knees closer to his chest. He still didn't know why he had chosen to come to the cemetery at that exact moment. Maybe it was because he needed comfort and reassurance that there really wasn't anything more that he could have done to stop the guys from taking Ed. With a slight sigh, he gently ran his fingers over the name of his mother, who had died when Danny was only a child. He smiled slightly as he realized that he may be joining her in the afterlife soon enough.   
  
"She'd be arguing with you, telling you not to go through with it." a voice said from behind Danny. He turned his head to see an older man with dark hair standing not too far off. He smiled gently at Danny before walking over, and putting a hand on the ex-Marine's shoulder. It was his father, Larry McCoy. "Jillian called and told me the whole story."   
  
"Do you think I should go?" Danny asked, looking up at his father.  
  
"Would you actually listen to me if I said no?" Larry asked with a knowing smile. He squeezed Danny's shoulder as he decided to change the subject. "I guess Delinda is pretty upset with you."  
  
"Yeah." Danny nodded as he got up from the ground. "Thinks that I didn't do enough to stop them from taking Ed." He sighed slightly. "I guess I kind of think that she might be right. Maybe I didn't do enough."   
  
"What more do you think that you could have done?" Larry inquired.   
  
"I could have watched monitors more." Danny replied with a shrug. "Fought back harder."  
  
"You fought as hard as you could, Danny." Larry replied, looking at his son. "I don't even need to see the tape of the incident to know that." He patted Danny's shoulder. "And as for watching the monitor, you had no idea that that was going to happen. You did everything that you could do. It just wasn't enough this time."  
  
"I guess." Danny shrugged. He was feeling a bit better about the whole situation now. He looked sincerely at his father. "I only wish that I could promise you that I'm going to be fine, but I can't do that. I'm probably walking into my own grave."   
  
"I couldn't be prouder of you, Danny." Larry smiled as he reached into his pocket. "I wanted to give you this before you left."  
  
He handed Danny a small box, which the ex-Marine opened immediately. A diamond and gold ring glinted back up at him, and Danny looked back up at his father. A puzzled look present on his face.   
  
"Mom's engagement ring." Danny said.  
  
"I thought you might want it." Larry explained before embracing his son. "You take care of yourself, kiddo. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."  
  
"I'll be as careful as I can." Danny agreed with a smile. He found it strange that this was the longest conversation he had with his father in a long time, and that it just might be their last.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Opening the door to his home, Danny was greeted by the delicious smell of something cooking in the kitchen. He wandered in to find Mary with her back towards him, chopping some sort of vegetable.  
  
"Something smells good." he commented, sitting down at the kitchen table. To his bewilderment, Mary remained silent. "That doesn't rate a comment?"   
  
"Don't go." Mary said softly, not turning around.  
  
"Don't go?" Danny repeated before hearing quiet sobs escape his best friend. He got up instantly and went to her side. "Mary?"  
  
Silently, Mary quit chopping and turned to face him. Her eyes were red and tears were running rapidly down her cheeks. Danny understood what she was thinking with one glance.  
  
"You don't think that I'm going to come back."  
  
"God, Danny!" Mary sobbed, throwing her arms around him. As she cried, he wrapped his arms around her too. "Just don't go! Please don't go! It's too dangerous."  
  
"I have to go, Mary." Danny replied gently. "Ed's counting on me."  
  
"Just tell Luis what you know, and he'll contact the right people." Mary suggested in between tears. "There's no reason to put yourself in danger." She looked up into his eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Danny. I don't think I could bare it."   
  
"Hey." Danny said, stroking her hair. "I'm your knight in shining armor, remember?" He shook his head. "No way would I ever leave you. I'm going to come back, Mary. I promise you that."  
  
As someone was heard coughing, both Danny and Mary looked up. Sam stood in the entryway to the kitchen. She appeared to be reluctant to interrupt what was happening in front of her.   
  
"The plane's ready to go." she reported, "Mike and Nessa are waiting for us at the airport."   
  
"I'll be right there." Danny said as Sam nodded and walked away. He turned his attention back to Mary. "You going to be okay?"  
  
"I wish that you wouldn't go," Mary replied, hugging him closer. "But I know that I can't stop you." She stared into his eyes. "Just promise me that you'll be careful, and that you'll keep an eye on the rest of them."  
  
"I will." Danny said with a smile.   
  
To be continued.... 


	10. Chapter 10: Thinking of You

Chapter Ten: Thinking of You  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Danny was still thinking about Mary two hours later as he stared vacantly out the window of the medium-sized jet. He sighed upon thinking about how sad his best friend had looked, and how she didn't expect that he'd ever come back. He only came back to reality as Sam, who had been up with the pilot, sat down next to him.   
  
"Did Nessa bring you up to date?" the dark haired woman inquired.   
  
"No." Danny replied, shoving Mary out of his mind for the moment.  
  
"We figured out that Ed is being held in an abandoned factory surrounded by forest." Sam said, "There's only really one road in." She cleared her throat. "Nessa thinks that it would be a better idea to go in through the jungle."  
  
"There'll be plenty of places to hide." Nessa said from the seat behind him. "You can't say that for an open road."  
  
"Yeah," Sam disagreed as a slight nervousness became clear in her voice. "But there's…things in the jungle."  
  
"More dangerous than guys with guns?" Nessa teased with a slight smile.  
  
Smiling himself, Danny decided that it might be better for Nessa and Sam to have some time to themselves. He silently got up and walked back a few rows to where Mike was sitting by himself. As he noticed Danny approach, the African American man smiled.  
  
"There going to be a catfight up there or something?" Mike asked as Danny sat down.  
  
"Possibly." Danny sighed, running his hands through his hair.  
  
"I know that look." Mike smiled as he watched Danny. "Who's the lucky girl?"   
  
"Lucky girl?" Danny repeated puzzled.   
  
"The one you're thinking about so much." Mike clarified, "I'm guessing it's not Sam, and I'm hoping that it's not Nessa." He pointed at Danny. "Because I'll kill you if it is." He relaxed his hand. "So, who is it?"  
  
"Mary." Danny replied as Mike nodded. "What? What's with the nod?" He looked seriously at Mike. "She's just really worried about this, and isn't sure that I'm going to come back."  
  
"Because she loves you." Mike said, looking at him. "And I don't mean just as a best friend. The girl has feelings for you, Danny, and, for whatever reason, you either can't see that or are ignoring it."  
  
"It's not that I can't see it," Danny replied, looking at the seat in front of him. "But I'm not ignoring it either." He sighed slightly. "Mary knows why I'm doing what I'm doing."  
  
It was then that he flashed back to an incident months ago when he and Mary had been trapped in an elevator. The two had come to the understanding that Danny couldn't let any woman get really close to him, due to his feeling like he would lose her just like his father lost his mother. Remembering the pain in Mary's voice when she told him that she always thought that they would get together, Danny rubbed his forehead to block out the image.   
  
"Then, understand why she's doing what she's doing." Mike suggested, "Maybe she just can't let it go."  
  
Saying nothing, Danny simply nodded. He silently admitted to himself that, despite his fears, part of him wasn't ready to let go of Mary in that way either.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Eating alone wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Mary sighed as she looked at the food in front of her. She had made enough for herself and for Danny, who usually had a big appetite. Thinking about her best friend, Mary sighed again and whispered a silent prayer for his safety.  
  
The doorbell brought some much-needed distraction from her thoughts. The dark blonde woman hurried to the door to find Delinda Deline waiting on the other side. She smiled weakly at Mary.  
  
"Come on in." Mary invited, gesturing inside.  
  
"Is Danny home?" Delinda asked, looking around as she stepped inside.  
  
"Oh, sweetie." Mary sighed, shutting the door. "I thought you knew. He and the others left already to go rescue your father." She noticed the pained look on Delinda's face. "What's up?"  
  
"I got angry with him." Delinda sighed, "I slapped him the face, and told him that he was responsible for Daddy's kidnapping."  
  
"Sit down." Mary said sympathetically as she gestured to the nearby couch. As the two sat, Connell wrapped an arm around the younger woman, who was weeping silently.  
  
"What if he doesn't come back?" Delinda asked, "What if I never get to apologize for what I said?"  
  
"Danny knows that you didn't mean it." Mary assured, rubbing the younger woman's back. "And anyway, you can explain all to him when he comes back."  
  
"You really think he's coming back?" Delinda asked, looking at Mary.   
  
"I hope so." Mary replied with a sigh.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I don't remember loading this much onto the plane." Mike commented as he and Danny unloaded the cargo from the plane. It was slow going as the airstrip had only enough lights to be distinguishable from the air, so most of the light was coming from the nearly full moon. The lack of light would prove to be a good thing though as it would be harder for Keller's men to spot them in the darkened jungle.  
  
"You two okay over there?" Danny called to Nessa and Sam, who were changing in some nearby bushes. The two women emerged wearing black turtle-necked, long sleeved shirts, dark pants, and black boots. Danny and Mike had changed into the same outfits on the plane.  
  
"How do you want to divide this up?" Nessa asked, nodding at the pile of weapons. "I was thinking three guns a piece, and the explosives would be separated between you and I, Danny."  
  
"Good thinking." Danny said, tucking Ed's favorite pistol into his belt.  
  
Sam and Mike set about separating the guns out, while Danny and Nessa carefully packed up the explosives in the two backpacks they would be carrying. Also in the packs were water bottles, flashlights, and first aid kits. Although, Danny had to chuckle at the fact that the injuries they were most at risk for couldn't be treated by anything in the first aid kit. Nessa also held onto a map and compass, both of which she checked in the moonlight.   
  
"All right." Danny said, as things seemed to be wrapped up at the airstrip. "Where to?"  
  
"There." Nessa said, pointing. "If we head west through those trees, it's a ten-mile walk to the back of the factory." She pulled a flashlight out of her bag and nodded at Danny to do the same.   
  
"Only two flashlights?" Sam whined, looking at them. "Won't that still be kind of dim?"  
  
"We don't want to advertise our presence." Danny replied, tossing his flashlight at Sam. "Here! You can carry one if it'll make you happy."   
  
From the view inside the plane, the pilot merely watched as the quartet disappeared into the brush. After the last bit of them disappeared, he picked up a nearby cell phone and punched in a number.  
  
"You're about to have company." he said as the other party picked up.   
  
To be continued... 


	11. Chapter 11: Jungle Boogie

Chapter Eleven: Jungle Boogie  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Morning, sunshine." Keller greeted as he turned on the lights to the room again. For further humiliation, he threw a glass of water on the sleeping Ed. Deline's cold blue eyes darted around the room as he woke up.   
  
"It can't be morning already." he commented, looking at the smirking Keller.  
  
"Wanted to make sure that you were ready to have company." Keller shrugged, sitting down on the desk in front of Ed. He smiled widely. "McCoy didn't come alone."   
  
"What?" Ed exclaimed, mentally berating Danny for bringing others on this dangerous of a mission.  
  
"Holt, Cannon and Marquez are with him." Keller reported, delighted to see the worry that was now present on Deline's face. "So, which one do I kill first?" He gestured with his fingers. "The pit boss, the valet, or the casino hostess?" A wicked grin crossed his face. "I'd say either you or McCoy, but business before pleasure."  
  
"You don't need to do this, Jack." Ed said, trying to get out of his restraints. "It doesn't concern them."  
  
"You know," Keller continued, pretending not to have heard Ed. "I do have men waiting for your little soldiers. It wouldn't take much to organize an ambush." He picked up Ed's cell phone and looked at Deline. "What do you think?"   
  
"You wouldn't." Ed shook his head defiantly.  
  
"Wouldn't I?" Jack asked, flipping open the phone.   
  
"Wait." Ed protested as the color drained from his face. He was worried that he just sealed the quartet's fate. As he gulped heavily, Keller simply chuckled at him.   
  
"Don't give yourself a heart attack." Keller commented, closing the phone. "It's far too early to kill them yet."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Glancing up at the moon, Danny leaned against a nearby tree. The group had decided to take a break a few miles into their trek through the jungle. However, it wasn't much of a rest for Danny, who had volunteered for lookout duty. Nearby, Nessa and Sam, who was sitting on a rock, consulted over the map while Mike drank from one of the water bottles the group had brought along.   
  
"Damn!" Mike said, slapping the back of his neck. "I swear the mosquitoes here must like the taste of Vegas or something."   
  
"If we keep moving," Danny replied, looking around. "They shouldn't bother us." He glanced back up at the moon. "We need to take full advantage of the lack of light." He looked back at his friends. "Who's up for running the rest of the way?"  
  
"Count me out." Sam replied, shaking her head.  
  
"It's only 5 more miles!" Danny protested, gesturing with his hands. He was beginning to question the wisdom of bringing one Samantha Jane Marquez along.   
  
"Unless you're going to pull a car out of that pack of yours," Sam commented as Danny rolled his eyes. "walking is the only way I'm going to get there. I'm spent as it is!"  
  
"Keep your voices down." Nessa reminded, "You two are going to get us killed." She turned to Danny. "Why don't you go ahead of us, and we'll watch your back? It'll be easier for one person to sneak in anyway."   
  
"You sure?" Danny asked, looking around. "I don't want to abandon you guys out here."  
  
"Go on, man." Mike encouraged, patting him on the back.   
  
"Yeah." Sam agreed with a smile.   
  
"You're the only one with enough experience to deal with Keller anyway." Nessa reminded as Danny nodded. "You're the only one of us four who can really save Ed."  
  
"Okay." Danny agreed, taking off his pack and one of his two assault rifles. He tossed them at Mike. "Don't worry. Nessa will tell you how to use the grenades." He took off his other assault rifle, and gave it to Sam. "You guys just be careful. If anything happens to me, I want you to turn back and head back for Vegas."   
  
"You're only going ahead with just one gun?" Mike remarked, looking at the pistol he held in his belt. "You're crazy."   
  
"Not just a gun." Danny replied with a smile. "Ed's good luck charm."   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"This isn't what I was thinking when I suggested dinner the other day." Luis remarked as he walked inside Danny's house. Mary simply smiled at him.   
  
"I just wanted some company." Mary commented, showing him to the kitchen table. "I hope you don't mind that I had to reheat it in the microwave."   
  
"Can't be all that bad." Luis shrugged, sitting down. He smiled at her. "You're looking good, considering the circumstances."  
  
"Thank you." Mary said, blushing slightly as she sat down across from him. "Anything new on the Ed front?"   
  
"Nothing." Luis shook his head, "You heard anything?"   
  
At that point, Mary remained silent. She didn't know if she should tell Luis or not about Danny and the gang traveling to Panama. On one hand, Danny seemed determined to do this on his own. However, it was that kind of attitude that may lead him to get killed. She sighed heavily, and noticed that Luis was watching her with interest.   
  
"Why do I get the feeling that Danny isn't upstairs asleep like you told me?" he asked, looking at her.   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Ducking behind a tree, Danny took a moment to catch his breath. He had been running for what seemed like half an hour straight now, and he had finally reached the perimeter of the old factory where Ed was being held. As he peeked out from behind the tree, he stared at the chain link fence in front of him. He could only hope that it wasn't electric.   
  
Upon hearing activity, Danny ducked behind the tree again. It sounded like something on the building was moving. Not hearing the noise, he looked around and immediately noticed what had made the noise. There was a surveillance camera on the side of the building, and it was looking right at him! He quickly ducked behind the tree again, and sighed. How was he supposed to get in now?   
  
To be continued... 


	12. Chapter 12: Cat and Mouse

Chapter Twelve: Cat and Mouse  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Looks caught, doesn't he?" Keller remarked with a chuckle as both he and Ed watched Danny's actions on a monitor. For the moment, Ed ignored the monochrome tree on the screen and glared up at Keller. He tried yet again to escape the restraints on his wrists, but it was to no avail. Amused, Keller watched him before turning back to the monitor. "Wonder where the others went."   
  
Casually, the dark haired man grabbed Ed's cell phone, which was lying on the desk near him. Dialing in a number, Keller put the phone to his ear and turned his eyes back towards the monitor.  
  
"Reyes," he greeted as the other party picked up. "What's the status on the Montecito group?" Reyes said something garbled to Ed's ear and Deline didn't like the smile fast appearing on Keller's face. "No, keep them there alive for the time being." Keller frowned as Reyes said something else. "No, I'll deal with McCoy personally. Just keep the others were they are for now, and don't kill them yet."  
  
Hanging up, Keller chuckled slightly as he sat on the desk in front of Ed. The monochrome tree still present on the monitor.   
  
"Don't worry, Ed." Keller taunted, looking at his former mentor. "I'm sure their deaths will be quick, albeit not exactly painless." He frowned slightly as he looked at the monitor. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you or McCoy."  
  
"This is between me and you, Jack." Ed said, staring at Keller. He shook his head slightly. "Leave Danny out of it."  
  
"Don't think that I've lost sight of our history, old man." Keller said, mockingly patting Ed's shoulder. He shrugged slightly. "But the kid's pissed me off by sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong." He picked up Ed's phone again. "Speaking of which, I need to make one more call."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"What the hell?" Danny asked as his cell phone started going off. He wondered who could be calling him at a time like this! Not wanting to blow his cover, he quickly answered it. "Danny McCoy."  
  
"Hide and seek was never one of my favorite games." Keller remarked casually. Danny felt his anger rise at the mere sound of the other man's voice. However, he could also feel his stomach sink. Keller knew he was there, and knew that he was coming. The element of surprise had been lost. "So, you going to come out, Danny boy?"   
  
Hanging up, Danny felt his other hand reach for the pistol tucked in his belt. Not stopping to think, he came out from behind the tree and fired at the security camera. As it broke, Danny tucked the pistol away and took a deep breath. He slowly put his hand on the fence in front of him, and smiled. It wasn't electric.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"He's got guts." Keller remarked as the bullet was shown hitting the camera. "I'll give him that." The dark haired man smiled widely as he hung Ed's phone up.   
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As he landed on the other side of the fence, Danny looked around. There were none of Keller's men there to greet him, which gave him an uneasy feeling. If they weren't there, they had to be in the jungle, looking for the others. McCoy contemplated turning back, but he felt himself go forward. He had to get to Ed before the other man's time ran out.   
  
Reaching a door to the inside, Danny paused for a moment and took out the pistol again. After wiping the sweat off of his brow, he wished now that he hadn't given away all of the water bottles. The nervousness he now felt was making his throat feel as dry as the deserts back home. Gathering his will, he looked at the door in front of him. There was no going back now!  
  
After slowly pushing the door in front of him open, Danny looked around before going inside. Again, there was no one here to greet him, which caused him to feel even more nervous about the outcome of the others. As he looked around, he realized that there didn't seem to be anyone else inside the factory at all. Wondering if he had been lied to, he let his pistol drop slightly. Suddenly, he noticed that a light was on in the overseer's office above the factory floor. The mini-blinds were closed, but Danny could see the shadow of man sitting in a chair cast upon them. Not stopping to consider that it might be a trap, the ex-Marine hurried up the nearby stairs.   
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"We should have never left Vegas." Mike remarked dejectedly as he sat down against the rock wall. After hearing the sound of jeeps, Nessa had made the trio hide in a small cave she had found. The entrance was nothing more than a hole under an outcropping of rocks. Unfortunately, from the sounds they could hear, it seemed like the enemy knew they were in there and were only waiting for some sort of signal to finish them off.   
  
"I'm starting to agree with that." Sam nodded before gasping. She turend to the others. "Oh my God! Do you think they got Danny?"  
  
"They couldn't have." Mike replied as if the mere thought was impossible. "Danny's too fast and too smart for them." He smiled at the ladies. "He'll be here with Ed in no time, and they'll take care of those creeps out front."  
  
"Yeah." Sam smiled, believing him. "Yeah! Danny and Ed will save us."   
  
"Oh, don't lie to yourselves." Nessa advised from where she sat on a rock. Both Sam and Mike looked at her. "They may both already be dead." She sighed heavily. "Or close to it. That sick bastard Keller may want to have them watch us die first."   
  
As gunfire erupted from out front, all three took cover on the floor. Sam tried to scream, but Nessa put a hand over her mouth. The so-called Ice Queen nodded at Mike as silence descended again. Nodding back, the African American man slowly crawled over to the entrance and looked out. A shadow fell upon him, and a look of fear appeared on the usual jovial man's face. Upon noticing what was happening, Nessa and Sam also had similar reactions.   
  
To be continued.... 


	13. Chapter 13: The Beginning of the End

Chapter Thirteen: The Beginning of the End  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Taking a deep breath, Danny kicked the door to the office open to find the captive Ed Deline waiting for him. He let his pistol drop slightly upon noticing that Keller wasn't in the room, and he rushed to his mentor's side.   
  
"Ed!" Danny greeted, kneeling by the older man.   
  
"Get out of here, kid." Ed ordered.   
  
"I'm not leaving you." Danny replied, relieved to see that Deline was alive and in semi-good health. He looked around. "Where's Keller?"   
  
The door to the room slammed shut, getting both McCoy and Deline's attention. As McCoy got to his feet again and aimed his pistol, he could see Keller standing just inside the room with a rifle in hand. To Danny's horror, he noted that it was aimed directly at Ed's head.   
  
"You've had your fun, kid," Keller said with a smile. "But now, playtime's over." He nodded at the pistol. "Give it here, or I blow Deline's brains out."   
  
"Take your shot, Danny." Ed encouraged quietly.   
  
"What?" Danny asked, wondering if he had heard right. He looked at Ed curiously.   
  
"Take this son of a bitch out." Ed replied, looking up at his protégé. "Don't worry about me."  
  
"You've got five seconds." Keller ordered.   
  
Looking from Keller to Ed, Danny felt unsure of what to do. He could take Keller out now, but, under the stress, he wasn't sure if he could hit him fatally or not. The other man would definitely have time to take Deline out, and Danny had no way of knowing how good of a marksman Keller was. Closing his eyes, Danny could feel his arms drop to his sides. He just couldn't risk it.   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"This is a long way from the Montecito parking lot." the figure commented as Mike gasped. Although the sun was blocking the figure's face, the voice was recognizable.   
  
"Mary?" he asked, crawling out of the hole. As he stood up, he chuckled at the dark blonde woman in front of him, and hugged her tightly. "What in the hell…"   
  
"That's what I was asking." Luis said as he walked over to Mike and Mary. Seeing that it was safe, Nessa and Sam also crawled out of the cave. "What in the hell were you guys thinking? I knew that Danny was crazy enough to attempt this, but you three?"   
  
"Where is Danny anyway?" Mary asked, looking at Sam.   
  
"He's rescuing Ed." Nessa replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Or trying to, anyway."   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I'm sorry, Ed." Danny sighed, opening his eyes and looking at his mentor. "I just can't do it."   
  
"It's all right." Ed assured as Keller walked over and took Danny's pistol from him with ease. After he set it down on the desk, he motioned with his rifle to the middle of the room. Getting what he meant, Danny followed Keller over to the exact spot. Knowing what was coming, Ed tried to get out of his restraints again.   
  
"You shouldn't have gotten involved with this, kid." Keller remarked as Danny felt the handle of the gun collide with his already bruised ribcage. As a sharp, constant pain filled him, he let out a cry of pain and sank to his knees. Grabbing his stomach, he looked at the ground. He heard the chair move as if Ed was trying desperately to break free. However, this seemed to anger Keller more as he kicked Danny powerfully in the same spot, causing the younger man to cough up blood.   
  
"Let that be a warning not to do that again." Keller said, looking at the irate Ed. "I'm pretty sure that pretty boy can fight his own battles." He turned to Danny. "Or he could if he wasn't so out of his league."  
  
"You bastard!" Danny said, slowly getting to his feet. He still had traces of blood on one corner of his mouth, and was holding his stomach with one arm. "I will stop you!"  
  
"Can't say that you're not good for a laugh." Keller smirked before getting punched in the face by Danny. The ex-Marine followed that up with a punch to the gut and another shot to the head. As Keller stumbled back, he dropped his rifle. Danny caught it, and aimed at the handcuffs on Ed's wrists. If he could just hit the chain that connected them, Ed would be free. He could tell that Ed understood what Danny was planning as he nodded at the ex-Marine and let his hands relax.   
  
Just as Danny fired his shot, Keller charged at him and ran him into the wall behind the two. The back of Danny's head made contact with the concrete of the wall, and the ex-Marine slumped to the ground unconscious.  
  
"Well," Keller said, picking up his rifle. "That takes care of that."   
  
As he turned around again, Keller nearly dropped his rifle again in shock. An irate looking unchained Ed Deline stood with the pistol clenched in his hands. From the smile on his face, it was clear that he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.   
  
To be continued... 


	14. Chapter 14: Desperate Moments

Chapter Fourteen: Desperate Moments  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and who will in the future. I really appreciate any feedback that I get. -------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"We have to go and get him, Luis." Mary said as she looked to the detective. A look of concern was clear on her face, but mentally, she was scolding Danny for being so stupid as to go off on his own…even if it was to rescue Ed.   
  
"How long has it been since you've seen him?" Luis asked, looking at the trio they had just rescued from the cave.  
  
"He couldn't have been more than a mile ahead of us." Mike replied, thinking. "But we were stuck in that cave for awhile." The African American man shrugged. "I'd say twenty minutes tops."   
  
"All right." Luis nodded, looking around. US federal agents and local police were busy arresting Keller's men. He turned his gaze back towards the group. "It looks like we're going to have to wait a little bit before we can take off." He shook his head. "We're definitely going to need help taking Keller down."   
  
"But what about Danny and Ed?" Nessa asked curiously.   
  
"They may need our help." Mary pointed out, her tone desperate.  
  
"I know that." Luis assured with a slight sigh. "However, do you think that I would be still standing here if I thought that those two couldn't take care of themselves?" He headed over towards a group of policemen. "Just be patient."   
  
"Just be patient?" Mike repeated as Luis walked away. "What the hell kind of advice is that? People's lives are at stake!" A frown grew on his face. "Even the five of us could probably take down one guy, even if it is someone like Keller! Why don't we just go?"   
  
"There's probably some official procedure that Luis has to follow." Nessa reasoned, sitting down upon a rock. "It goes hand in hand with police work."   
  
As the sound of a jeep starting was heard, all heads in the immediate area turned to look. They barely caught a glimpse of the driver as the vehicle burned rubber in the direction of the factory. As he realized who was behind the wheel, a look of intense worry appeared on Luis's face.   
  
"Oh dear God." he whispered before shouting. "MARY!"   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"You should have just ran, Jack." Ed remarked with a, more intense than usual, look of fierceness present in his blue eyes. He firmed up his grip on the pistol in his hands as he shook his head. "It didn't have to come to this."   
  
"I'm just like you, Ed." Keller said as he cocked his rifle. "I don't like to run away."   
  
Groaning as consciousness returned to him, Danny put a hand to the back of his head. Although his vision was initially blurred, he could make out the forms of the two men standing in front of him, pointing something at each other. As his abdomen and head throbbed violently, McCoy shook his head and rubbed his eyes to clear away the fuzziness. He gasped slightly as the two guns became clear. He dared not move as Keller had his back to him, and didn't realize that he had woken up yet.   
  
As he quickly caught sight of the now awake Danny, Ed frowned as he remembered that there was more than his own personal safety at stake here. He had to make sure that he took Keller out before he could hurt Danny or do worse to the younger man.   
  
"Well, what are you waiting for, Ed?" Keller smirked, "I thought you would have shot me already."   
  
"You got a death wish?" Deline fired back.   
  
"I know why you're stalling." Keller chuckled as he turned around to look at Danny. McCoy got his knee, and was about to stand up. "I wouldn't stand up if I was you, kid." Keller aimed his rifle at McCoy. "It would be detrimental to your health."  
  
"Let him go, Jack." Ed asked, still aiming the pistol. "This is our fight!"   
  
Saying nothing, a wicked smile found its way to Keller's face as his finger touched the trigger of the rifle. In a state of shock, Danny simply stared at the man standing over him. His mind was telling him to get out of the way, but his body wouldn't move. A shot rang out, and Danny winced in terror. This had to be the end!   
  
To be continued... 


	15. Chapter 15: Escalation

Author's note: I decided to make this chapter extra-long to make up for the shortness of my last one, and the awful cliffhangers I've been leaving you guys with. I was going to post this a lot earlier, but due to Spring Term starting back up, and new ideas on where to get where I'm eventually going with this popping up...you understand, I hope. Again, thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far and also THANK YOU for taking time out of your lives to even read this. Okay, now, I'm babbling...  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Fifteen: Escalation  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Not feeling the impact of a bullet, Danny opened his eyes again after a few seconds. In front of him, a surprised Keller dropped his rifle and held his left arm. With a look of pain on his face, he turned to face Ed, who was still holding his pistol. He had shot Keller in the arm before Keller could shoot and probably kill Danny.   
  
"You son of a bitch." Keller growled, taking a step forward.   
  
"You take another step," Ed warned, not wavering. "And I'll blow your ass to kingdom come." His blue eyes turned to Danny. "You okay, kid?"   
  
"I'm fine." Danny nodded, getting to his feet. Of course, he thought that Ed might want to ask him again when the adrenaline eventually wore off.   
  
"Good." Ed replied, turning his gaze back to Keller. "Looks like yourself a choice here, Jack. You can either surrender peacefully…" Ed gripped the pistol tightly. "Or I kill you where you stand."   
  
"I'd go for the first option." Danny said quietly.   
  
"You neglected to mention the third option, Ed." Keller chuckled, reaching into his coat. Before either Ed or Danny could move, the dark-haired man pulled a silver pistol out of the inside of jacket and pressed the barrel against Danny's temple. Danny gasped in surprise, and a concerned Ed lowered his pistol slightly. A fiendish grin crossed Keller's face. "I do what I should have done the whole time: I take the kid hostage."   
  
"You son of a…" Ed started, aiming his pistol again.   
  
"Careful, Ed." Keller smirked, "You really don't want to set me off right now." He firmed up his grip on the pistol. "I guarantee that you won't like the consequences."   
  
With a fire burning in his eyes, Ed simply stared silently at the picture in front of him for a moment. There was no way he could take Keller out now, and not give the other man the opportunity and reason to shoot Danny. Ed knew that the ex-Marine wouldn't survive a bullet from that close of a range. Sighing, he cautiously lowered the gun and set it on the desk next to him. He raised his hands in the air to show that he had no weapons.   
  
"That's better." Keller commented with a smile.   
  
"Ed, no!" Danny protested, "Just let this bastard kill me!" He glared at Keller. "God knows that he's going to do it anyway."   
  
"Don't put ideas into my head, kid." Keller replied gruffly. He forcibly turned Danny around, so that the ex-Marine faced away from him. McCoy was about to react when he felt the barrel of the pistol jam against his spinal cord. He winced slightly, as Keller looked at Ed. "No reason for him to get hurt if you'll just follow directions."  
  
"What do you want?" Ed asked with a voice full of defeat.   
  
"That all depends on you, Ed." Keller replied, nodding his head towards Danny. "How much do you think his safety is worth?" A grin crossed his face. "Of course, there's also that little matter of what you robbed me of in Vegas, and a little extra for interest and this adventure."   
  
"I'll make the call right now if you'll let me." Ed said with a nod.   
  
"It kind of ruins the effect if you can see the hostage, Ed." Keller replied, shoving Danny towards the door. "I'll call you with instructions on where we'll do our little trade." Noticing that McCoy had stopped, Keller shoved the younger man forward again. "Move it, kid!"   
  
As he exited out the door, Danny took one last look at his mentor. A solemn look of both defeat and yet, reassurance was on his face. Ed nodded silently at Danny before Keller pushed McCoy out of the room.   
  
As the door slammed shut behind them, Keller stopped for a moment before continuing down the stairs and out the factory. With his injured arm (so he wouldn't take his pistol off Danny), he gingerly reached into his pants pocket and pulled out some keys. Turning his head to see what his captor was doing, Danny was surprised to see Keller locking the door.   
  
"What are you doing?" Danny asked surprised.   
  
"Just in case Ed had any wild ideas about going after us." Keller smiled, stuffing his keys back into his pocket.   
  
Suddenly, he mightily shoved Danny forward, causing the ex-Marine to tumble down the stairwell in front of the two. When he finally landed at the bottom, McCoy lay in a heap for a moment. His whole body ached, but his previously injured head and abdomen seemed to hurt the most. He out a small groan as he pulled himself, using the handrail, into a sitting position.   
  
Danny quickly glanced up to the window into the overseer's office. Seeing as how the mini-blinds had been pulled up, Ed could be seen standing in front of the window, watching what was taking place down below. An angry yet compassionate look was present in his eyes.   
  
"He can't help you now, kid." Keller remarked as he descended down the last of the stairs. He jerked Danny to his feet, and held the pistol on him once more.   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As Keller marched Danny out of the factory, Ed turned away from the window in disgust. He put his fists on the desk, and lowered his head. Although he didn't like the situation that Danny was in, Deline knew that McCoy could take care of himself for the time being. Ed was more concerned with the question of what had happened to Nessa, Mike, and Sam. From what Keller had said to the man on the phone, Keller's men appeared to have them trapped somewhere, and were waiting for the orders to kill them. There was no way Ed could allow that to happen.  
  
But, how was he supposed to escape? Keller had locked the only door to the room, and it appeared too strong for even Ed to kick down. He stood up, sighed, and ran a desperate hand through his hair. There had to be a solution! Suddenly, his blue eyes fell upon his pistol, which was still lying on the desk. After he slowly picked the gun up, he walked over to the window again. Sure enough, there were plenty of pipes and whatnot in close enough range. A smile crossed Ed's face, and he only hoped that the glass wasn't bulletproof.   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"So, where are we going?" Danny asked as he walked down the asphalt road in front of the factory. Keller was only a step behind him, and still held the pistol to his back.  
  
"You'll find out." Keller replied as a jeep was heard nearing. The dark-haired man grabbed Danny's shoulder to stop him from moving. A cautious look appeared in his eyes. He changed his tone to a whisper. "Damn it."   
  
Realizing that it wasn't one of Keller's men, Danny could feel himself fill with curiosity. He hoped that it was some sort of assistance, but he didn't get his hopes up about it being the others from the Montecito. Last Danny knew, they were coming from the opposite direction, and where would they have gotten a jeep? As the jeep neared, McCoy could see more and more of the driver and lone passenger. It was definitely a woman with long, dark blonde hair…No! It couldn't be.   
  
The jeep parked quickly in front of the two men, and Danny could feel his heart and stomach sink while his mind wondered what in the hell she was doing there? Feeling full of despair and fear, he closed his eyes tightly, hoping that he was just imagining things.  
  
"Please, God…" he whispered, feeling sick to his stomach.   
  
"Danny!" Mary exclaimed as she got out of the jeep. She gasped and put a hand over her mouth upon seeing Keller with the gun.   
  
"Ms. Connell!" Keller greeted with an evil grin. "I'm glad you could join our little party."   
  
"Just let her go, Keller." Danny begged, opening his eyes and looking at his captor. He shook his head. "She has nothing to do with this."   
  
"That's the problem with you and Big Ed." Keller remarked, "You both care too much about other people." He struck Danny in the middle of his shoulder blades with his gun. The younger man lurched forward in pain. "It only causes you problems."   
  
"Danny!" Mary said, running over and holding him in her arms. He winced slightly as she touched one of the bruises he had earned over the past few days. Watching the scene unfolding in front of him, Keller smirked slightly.   
  
"Looks like the two of you want to catch up." Keller remarked before nodding to the jeep. "Why don't the three of us take a little drive?"   
  
To be continued... 


	16. Chapter 16: Hearts On Fire

{Author's note: I apologize for not having this up sooner, but between medical problems, catching up on schoolwork I missed during said medical problems, writer's block, and getting a new idea on where to go with this...you understand, right? But, it shouldn't take me too long now to post the remaining 3 chapters (I think that's how many there will be) or so once I write them.}  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Sixteen: Hearts on Fire  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As his feet made contact with the factory floor, Ed put a hand on the ground to brace himself. It wasn't long before he was back on his feet, and sprinting towards the back door. Although the older man was feeling weak from being restrained and a lack of food, the thought of the dangers posed to his employees propelled him forward. Keller's greatest mistake had been to mess with them in the first place as they were like family to Ed. No one messed with Ed Deline's family, and lived to tell the tale!   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Feeling Mary's arms tremble against his back, the still hunched over Danny looked over at his best friend. Her eyes, which were focused on Keller, were as wide as the ex-Marine had ever seen them, and her closed lips were quivering as much as the rest of her body was. Not that Danny could blame her for being so terrified as she had never been in a situation even remotely like this before. Ignoring the various pains that were starting to reappear inside of him, Danny scowled and resumed his full height once more. He had to get Mary out of here!  
  
"Danny?" the puzzled Mary said as McCoy placed himself in between her and Keller.  
  
"Hide behind the jeep." Danny instructed firmly, not taking his eyes off Keller and the pistol that he still held.   
  
"You're not the one giving orders around here, kid." Keller reminded, making sure his pistol was aimed at Danny.  
  
"Neither are you." Danny smirked before tackling Keller to the ground.   
  
"Danny!" Mary exclaimed as she watched the two men struggle on the asphalt in front of her. Danny managed to pin Keller to the ground momentarily, and he turned to look at Mary.   
  
"Go!" he shouted, waving away from the two men.   
  
Nodding to signal that she understood, Mary started running down the road towards the factory. She wasn't sure that Danny, who was still recovering from being mugged a day or so ago, could fight Keller off on his own, and her instincts told her that Ed Deline had to be inside. Also, if anything, she knew that worrying about her safety would only hinder McCoy further.   
  
"Atta girl." Danny whispered to himself as he watched Mary run off. Taking advantage of his opponent being distracted, Keller pushed the younger man off of him. Landing on his side a foot or so away, Danny winced and immediately grabbed his abdomen, where the pain was becoming too severe to ignore…even in the heat of battle.   
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Hearing footsteps fast approaching him, Ed turned his attention away from the fence in front of him and drew his pistol out once more. He knew that it could possibly be Danny or someone else on his side, but Deline wasn't about to take any chances with his life. Steadily, he aimed the gun at the corner the person would be coming around at any moment. Upon seeing a dark blonde woman come around the corner, he dropped the gun instantly, even though it took a moment for Deline's mind to register exactly who it was.   
  
"Mary?" he asked, puzzled as to how Connell got there. Ed knew that, no matter how desperate he may have been, Danny would have never dragged his best friend into this mess.   
  
"Danny's fighting Keller out front." Mary reported as she tried to catch her breath.  
  
"What?" Ed exclaimed, looking in the direction Mary had just come from. He questioned what he should do now: go after the others (although he didn't know where they were), or help his protégé (who might be able to hold his own, even though he was injured)? His fierce, blue eyes met the anxious ones of Mary. Putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, Ed nodded firmly. "Let's go."   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Getting to his knees, Danny still shielded his abdomen with one of his arms. An intense pain was filling him with every breath, and he wagered that a few of his bruised ribs were now broken. He looked over to see that Keller had just gotten to his feet. The dark haired man was being slowed by the amount of blood he had been losing via the wound in his arm. He aimed the pistol at Danny with his healthy arm, causing McCoy to pause in his tracks.   
  
"Ed was right." Keller remarked, walking over and standing in front of Danny. The barrel of the pistol now rested on McCoy's forehead. "You've got a lot of heart, kid." He shrugged slightly. "Too bad it can't save you."   
  
"Don't count me out yet." Danny warned before grabbing the pistol with both of his hands. He had barely moved it off his body when a bullet rocketed out of the barrel. The projectile hit a grassy spot nearby and kicked up dirt where it lodged itself. McCoy could feel Keller trying to move it back, and he fought with all of his might to keep the gun where it was.   
  
"Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?" Keller asked as Danny felt the other man's foot collide with his stomach.   
  
An intense surge of pain shot through him, causing Danny to cry out and grab his stomach. He knew in his mind that it was a stupid move to relinquish his hold on the gun, but his stomach was hurting him too much. As he coughed up blood, he could hear Keller chuckle quietly to himself and it wasn't long before Danny (who was looking at the ground) once again felt the barrel of the gun against the back of his head. Realizing that fighting back was nearly impossible at this point, Danny closed his eyes and prayed for miracle. If anything, he felt fortunate that none of the others, especially Mary, would be around to see his last moments.   
  
Upon hearing a body fall to the ground, Danny opened his eyes once more and looked up. Keller had fallen unconscious to the ground in front of him, and Ed, who already held one pistol in his hand, was picking up Keller's.   
  
"You okay, kid?" Ed asked as he stood up again.   
  
"I've been better." Danny replied, still holding on to his stomach. His eyes fell upon the limp form of Keller. "Did you…"   
  
"Nah." Ed shook his head, twirling his pistol. "I just clocked him one. Given time and good medical care, our friend here should be just fine." A smile crossed his face. "Speaking of friends…" Deline turned to the corner he had emerged from. "It's safe to come out now."   
  
It seemed as if Mary traveled from where she was hiding to Danny's side in a blur. As she knelt down on the grass near her best friend, a look of concern fast appeared on Connell's features as she took in the extent of his injuries.   
  
"It's not that bad, Mary." Danny said, trying to soothe her concerns. That, of course, was a lie as the adrenaline of the adventure was now wearing off and the pain was fast becoming unbearable. In addition to the pain, Danny suddenly felt a sick feeling in his stomach. He attributed it to the concussion he had suffered back in Vegas, which had probably also been worsened. He closed his eyes and prayed that the contents of his aching stomach would stay there.   
  
"Liar." Mary said quietly as she wrapped her arms gently around the injured man. Careful not to touch him in any place that may cause him further pain, she slowly guided him into a laying position with his head resting sideways on her thighs. She smiled down at him, and he returned the gesture.   
  
Two sounds were suddenly heard. One was Keller groaning back to life, and the other was some sort of motorcade approaching. After exchanging glances with Danny, Ed turned his attention to the road and readied the pistols in his hands. One was aimed at Keller, and the other was ready to be fired in any direction.   
  
The motorcade suddenly became visible to Ed's eyes. Two ambulances made up the rear, two jeeps were placed in the middle, and another jeep, driven by one Luis Perez, was leading the pack. A look of elation appeared on Ed's face as he noticed the very much alive and healthy Nessa, Sam and Mike in the back of the jeep.   
  
"Ed!" Danny called, suddenly jilting Ed from his happiness. He turned to see Keller sprinting for the nearby jungle, only hampered slightly by the pain his injured arm must be causing him. Growling, Ed tossed his extra pistol at Danny as he sprinted past McCoy and Connell and after Keller.   
  
To be continued... 


	17. Chapter 17: Knots and Threads

{Author's note: Oi! Writer's block can be a pain in the you-know-what!}  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Seventeen: Knots and Threads  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Danny! Mary!" Luis called as he jumped out of the barely parked jeep.   
  
The Latino cop sprinted to his friends' side as Mary was blocking the upper portion of Danny's body from view. All Perez could tell from his vantage point was that McCoy was on the ground. Reaching the pair, Luis knelt down and stared at Danny, who looked right back at him. Besides wincing every time he took a breath, the ex-Marine had a lot of new bumps and bruises, and had traces of dried blood on the corners of his mouth. Luis simply shook his head before turning to Mary, who he was relieved to see just looked a little shaken up.   
  
"I think he may have worsened his injuries." Mary commented, nodding at Danny as the rest of the Montecito team joined the trio. Upon getting sight of Danny, looks of sympathy and anger filled their various faces.   
  
"Poor baby." Sam commented as she knelt down near him.   
  
"Don't worry about me." Danny said, trying to sit up, "I'm just fine." He knew that he wasn't really, but he didn't feel like being coddled at the moment. Especially not when Ed had just gone off on his own after Keller. As he sat up, his head and stomach both erupted with pain, reminding him not so subtly that they couldn't be magically cured. Crying out in pain, Danny layed down again quickly and held his stomach with both of his arms. Mary rubbed his arms in an attempt to soothe him.   
  
"Fine, my ass." Mike muttered, shaking his head at Danny's injuries.   
  
"Somebody needs to go after Ed." Nessa said, looking at Luis as one of the ambulance crews arrived to tend to Danny.   
  
"Taking care of it." Luis nodded, motioning to the nearby federal agents. With his hand, he gestured to the section of jungle that Ed and Keller had just run into.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------------  
  
An arm feeling like it was going to fall off and the amount of blood he had lost so far would be enough to keep another man down, even in these dire circumstances. However, Jack Keller tried to ignore his pain and fatigue the best he could, because it was either keep going or meet up with an angry and armed Ed Deline. As the forest in front of him started to blur together, Keller stopped to catch his breath. Putting his uninjured hand against a tree to brace himself, Keller realized that he was definitely going to have to check himself into a hospital…wherever he went after this.   
  
Not hearing footsteps approaching him, Keller glanced behind him to see where exactly Ed was. Only still trees and brush met his eyes. He turned around physically in order to better scour the scenery. It wouldn't be unlike Ed to lie in wait behind a shrub or something. A smile crossed Keller's face as the thought of Ed having a heart attack or something while in pursuit of him entered his mind. Suddenly, the dark haired man could feel the barrel of a gun resting against the back of his skull.   
  
"Those shortcuts can be a bitch, can't they, Jack?" Ed asked from behind him.   
  
"Let's not be too hasty here, Ed." Jack begged, putting his hands up innocently.   
  
"Shut up!" Ed ordered, cocking the gun. "I was dumb enough to let you get away once, Jack." He shook his head. "I don't make the same mistake twice."   
  
"Ed!" Luis suddenly called as he appeared in front of Keller. A quintet of federal agents followed in his wake. Knowing Ed's rage all too well, Luis simply looked at Deline. "We'll take it from here, Ed."   
  
For a brief moment, Luis could tell that Deline was still considering pulling the trigger. Perez couldn't blame him as the man had put Ed, his family and his employees through absolute hell. If anyone deserved it, Keller certainly did. However, after a sigh, Ed shoved Keller into the waiting arms of the federal agents.   
  
"Have fun in the clink." Ed said, looking victoriously at Keller.   
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"This sucks." Danny groaned as he put his head back against the pillow of his hospital bed. Even though the tall, brown-haired man's injuries had been light (an aggravated concussion, broken and bruised ribs, and a slightly sprained wrist), the doctors at the hospital in Panama City wanted to keep him overnight for observation. Smiling, Mary sat down at her best friend's bedside and ran a hand gently through his hair.   
  
"We'll be home tomorrow or the day after." Mary comforted with a smile. "Just try to relax."   
  
"Relax?" Danny scoffed, "I'm in a freaking hospital!" He looked to the floor as a nurse came in. "You know that I haven't cared for them since my mother died."   
  
"I know." Mary nodded as she smiled at the leaving nurse, who had dropped off an extra pillow and blankets on a nearby couch. "Which is why I'm staying with you tonight."   
  
"You don't have to…" Danny said, a bit surprised.   
  
"I want to." Mary replied as a light knocking was heard on the door. After waiting a few seconds, Ed Deline, who was clad in street clothes, walked in. Mary got up and walked over to the older man.   
  
"Well?" she asked, looking at him.   
  
"The docs just want me to take it easy for a few days." Ed replied with a shrug. "Other than that, I'm a free man." He looked earnestly at Mary. "Would you mind if I talked to Danny alone for a few minutes?"   
  
"Not at all." Mary replied before turning back to Danny. "You want anything from the cafeteria?"   
  
"Nothing that wouldn't conflict with my pain meds." Danny replied as he tried to pull himself into a sitting position with both hands using some sort of object dangling above his bed, made just for that purpose. It was slow going as his ribcage ached if he dared even move his midsection.   
  
As Mary smiled and left the room, Ed walked over to Danny's bedside. McCoy had finally managed to pull himself into a sitting position when Deline arrived. With a slight smile, Ed pressed the button and raised the back of Danny's bed for him.   
  
"Thanks." McCoy said gratefully as he leaned back again.   
  
"You're welcome." Ed nodded. A slight grin came over his face as he looked at his protégé. "You've looked better, kid."   
  
"I've felt better." Danny sighed, hoping that his pain medication would kick in. "I'm glad to see that you're feeling all right."   
  
"I'm not feeling all right." Ed replied in an eerie, calm tone as he shook his head. "I'm feeling pretty angry actually."   
  
"Angry?" Danny asked, even though he suspected what was coming.   
  
"What in the hell were you thinking?" Ed snapped, "Do you realize that you could have gotten yourself killed? Not to mention Mike, Sam and Nessa!"   
  
"I was just doing what you would have done." Danny retorted, shrugging his shoulders. As a scarlet hue began to appear on Ed's face, the ex-Marine regretted saying anything at all.   
  
"What I would have done?" Ed repeated in disbelief. He began pacing like a caged animal around the room. "What I would have done? There's no way in hell I would have done what you did!"   
  
"Oh, that's bull and you know it." Danny replied. He didn't believe for one second that Deline wouldn't have attempted some sort of rescue mission.   
  
"It's true." Ed assured before a grin appeared on his face. "I wouldn't have waited so long before taking matters into my own hands." He clapped Danny on the back as he walked back over. "Other than that, I don't see how it would have been different."   
  
"Keller would have actually died." Danny replied with a shrug.   
  
"Possibly." Ed agreed with a slight nod.  
  
"You know," Danny said, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm never leaving Vegas after this. Bad things happen when I leave Vegas." He gestured with his fingers. "If it's not friends developing gambling problems, it's crazy chicks in New Orleans shoving me into alligator-infested waters. If it's not that, it's ex-CIA whackos trying their damndest to blow my brains out..."   
  
"Is that you or the morphine talking?" Ed wondered with a chuckle.   
  
"Probably both." Danny laughed honestly. Suddenly, the thought of his mother's engagement ring entered his mind and a jolt of panic surged through him. McCoy had been carrying the ring box in his pants pocket during the entire adventure with Keller, and had forgotten to check if it had been damaged at all. He looked at Ed. "Could you do me a favor? Could you go into the closet and grab the bag with my street clothes in it?"   
  
"Sure." Ed nodded, slightly puzzled by his protégé's request. However, he silently walked over to the closet and pulled out the plastic bag containing the clothes Danny had arrived in. Walking back over to the bed, he tossed onto Danny's lap. "I don't know why you want it, but here you go."   
  
"Thanks." Danny said as he reached around for his pants. Upon finding them, the tall, brown-haired man stuffed his hand into the front, left pocket of his pants and pulled the ring box out. He was relieved to see that it didn't appear to be damaged, but he checked the ring inside to make sure. Sure enough, it was just fine. Forgetting that Ed Deline was watching him, McCoy stared happily at the undamaged ring.   
  
"That's a beautiful ring you got there." Ed remarked, reminding Danny that he was there.   
  
"It was my mom's engagement ring." Danny informed, keeping his eyes on the piece of jewelry. "My dad gave it to me before I left on this little adventure."   
  
"I see." Ed nodded with a smile. "So, who's the lucky lady?"   
  
"Pardon?" Danny asked, turning his eyes towards Ed. Realizing what he meant, Danny sighed and looked at the ring. "I know who I want to give it to, but I'm not sure that either one of us is ready to take that step."  
  
"You got to take chances sometimes." Ed shrugged.   
  
"We work in a casino, Ed." Danny reminded, "We both know how dangerous taking a chance can be." He paused and played with the ring in his hands. "You can lose it all in one go."   
  
"Or you can win big." Ed pointed out as Mary walked into the room. With a smile, Deline clapped the younger man on the shoulder as he headed out of the room. He paused and turned back to face Danny. "You think about that."   
  
"What was that all about?" Mary asked, sitting down next to Danny.   
  
"Um, nothing." Danny blushed, trying to conceal the ring in his fist.  
  
"Nice try." Mary smiled as she slowly pulled his fingers back, revealing the ring. "Your mother's engagement ring."   
  
"How did you…" Danny wondered, looking at her.   
  
"I caught your father looking at it once or twice before." Mary replied quietly, "He told me what it was."   
  
"Yeah," Danny nodded, "he gave it to me before I left." He chuckled slightly. "I think that he wanted me to put it to good use, but I'm not sure that I'm ready for that sort of commitment yet." A sad and disappointed look suddenly appeared on Mary's face. Danny instantly noticed the shift from the cheerful smile that she had been giving him, and turned his head away. At least, if he stared at the wall, it wouldn't break his heart.  
  
Rubbing his bandaged forehead, Danny sighed in disbelief of his own selfishness. His heart? Why the hell was he worried about his own heart when Mary's was again breaking right in front of him? He could only imagine how much she had probably built her hopes up upon seeing him with the ring, only to be let down once again by Danny. Feeling her wrap her hand around his own, he frowned slightly.   
  
"I'm sorry." Danny apologized.   
  
"For what?" Mary inquired curious.   
  
"For putting you through a lot." Danny replied, looking earnestly at her.   
  
"Hmm." Mary smiled, caressing his cheek with her hand. "I'd say that you're forgiven for the whole Keller mess, but I'm pretty sure that that's not what you're talking about." She shrugged slightly. "Although, I forgive you for that too."   
  
"You shouldn't." Danny yawned as he shook his head.   
  
"Well, that's your opinion." Mary replied before noticing the sleepy look in Danny's eyes. "You should get some rest now."   
  
"Rest sounds good." Danny agreed, closing his eyes.   
  
To be continued.... 


	18. Chapter 18: The Ordinary World

{Author's note: I didn't think that I would actually have this done this early, but after watching the season finale, I was just inspired to write...so here it is: the last chapter to what I hope was an interesting and fun read. Thanks again for just taking time out of your lives to read this, and don't worry. I've got a few more Vegas fic ideas in my idea, so this isn't the last you'll hear of me...unless I get struck down by a bus or something tomorrow. :)  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter Eighteen: The Ordinary World  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
As his feet carefully stepped off of the last step and onto the runway, Ed scoured the nearby scenery with his eyes. He stood still immediately upon catching a glimpse of the nearby Las Vegas strip, and his blue eyes darted among the buildings that were visible. A smile crossed his usually grim face as he noticed the Montecito itself standing amongst the group. Ed truly was home, a place that had seemed so far away at times during the past few days.   
  
"Eddie!" a woman's voice shouted as footsteps were heard. With an even wider smile on his face, Deline turned around just in time to catch his sobbing wife in his arms.   
  
"Hey there, beautiful." Ed greeted as he began to feel Jillian's tears of happiness soak through his shirt. He gently lifted her chin, and looked at her square in the eye. She reached up and caressed his cheek lightly, as if she was checking to make sure that he was actually real.   
  
"I've missed you so much." Jillian said through her tears.   
  
Saying nothing in response, Ed grabbed his wife and pulled her closer towards him. It wasn't long before the couple was engaged in a passionate kiss that was only broken by the cry of "Daddy!" coming from behind them. Separating from Jillian, Ed smiled at his wife before embracing a freshly arrived Delinda tightly.   
  
"I love happy endings." Mary commented as she rested her head against Danny's arm. The two sat on the steps into the plane, watching the Deline reunion play out in front of them. With a smile, Danny simply nodded and wrapped his arm around Mary, who moved her head to his chest. A smile appeared on her own face as she began to feel the familiar feeling of security that had always seemed to come from Danny.  
  
"I'm just glad that everyone's all right." Danny replied, looking into her eyes. In his head, he heard himself say "you especially", but the words never came out of his mouth. He simply rubbed her opposite arm slowly.   
  
"I am too." Mary agreed before noticing a figure walking over towards them. As the dark-haired, older man came closer into view, Mary lightly nudged her best friend. "Danny."   
  
"Huh?" Danny said, looking up to see his father walking over. Grinning at Mary, the tall, brown-haired man got up from his seat and went to meet his father. There was an awkward moment of silence between the two men as McCoy the elder simply stared at his son.   
  
"This was as careful as you could be?" Larry asked in amazement, looking at the various bumps and bruises that now covered his son  
  
"It doesn't hurt as bad as it looks." Danny offered with a shrug of his shoulders. With a wide smile, the older man embraced him tightly, causing Danny to wince as a pain flared up in his ribs. However, he decided that he could deal with the pain for the time being, and hugged his father back.   
  
"I was so worried about you, Danny boy." Larry said, not letting go. "I must have asked your mother to watch over you about five million times." He let go, but kept his hands on his son's shoulders. "Seems like she felt you needed to be punished a little for even going in the first place."   
  
"Yeah." Danny chuckled in agreement as he felt someone grab his arm. He turned to see Delinda standing next to him. "Hey Delinda!"   
  
"Can we talk?" Delinda inquired, looking sincerely at him.   
  
"Well…" Danny started, looking at his father.   
  
"Go ahead." Larry said, stepping back with a smile. "I'm going to go talk to Mary and Luis."   
  
"All right." Danny said as he watched his father walk off. He turned his eyes back to Delinda, who was looking at the ground.   
  
"I'm really sorry, Danny." Delinda said softly, "I didn't mean to say…"   
  
"It's all right." Danny assured with a smile. He lifted her chin so that she looked up at him. "I know that you didn't mean those things." He sighed. "I shouldn't have told you that you would only get in the way either."   
  
"I wouldn't have been much help." Delinda admitted. Slowly, a grin found its way to her face. "Besides, we both know that Daddy would have murdered you when he found out."   
  
"Yeah." Danny laughed, "He gave me enough crap already for bringing the others along."   
  
"Hmm." Delinda said, sharing his chuckle. Suddenly, she spotted Nessa deboarding the plane, squealed in delight, and ran over to the jet. As Danny watched her tackle Sam and Nessa to the ground, he felt a rough hand on his shoulder. McCoy knew it instinctively to be Ed's, and turned to look at his mentor.   
  
"You and Delinda work out your problem?" Ed asked.   
  
"Yeah." Danny nodded.   
  
"So, what exactly was it anyway?" Ed inquired, watching the scene play out in front of him.   
  
"She wanted to go to Panama with us." Danny replied, thinking that he should refrain from telling Ed that Delinda had blamed the ex-Marine for the whole mess.   
  
"Oh." Ed replied as if Danny had simply stated what the current weather was like. "And what did you tell her?"   
  
"Exactly what you would have wanted me to." Danny said.   
  
"Good." Ed nodded in approval. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two cars parked on the airstrip: a cherry red Hummer and a black and yellow Camero convertible. "Give me your honest opinion on something?"   
  
"Sure." Danny replied eagerly.   
  
"Which one do you think will get back to the Montecito faster?" Ed proposed, nodding at the two vehicles. Danny smiled at the sight.   
  
"Want to find out?" he asked mischievously.   
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
"He hasn't been out of his office for a couple of hours now." Mitch commented, looking up at the office that loomed above the surveillance room. The wheelchair-bound man looked at Danny, who stood near him. "What do you think he's doing?"   
  
"Ripping Brunson a new one." Danny replied with a smile. He turned to Mitch. "Did we miss much?"   
  
"Same old, same old." Mitch answered with a shrug.  
  
Nodding, Danny walked up the stairs to Ed's office and lightly knocked on the door. Upon not getting a response, he walked in just in time to see his mentor forcefully slam down the phone.  
  
"How'd it go with Brunson?" Danny inquired, sitting down in the seat in front of Ed's desk.   
  
"Like you'd expect." Ed said, walking over to the window to the surveillance room. "How were things around here?"   
  
"Mitch said it was the same as always." Danny replied, putting his feet up on Ed's desk. Suddenly, the phone on the desk rang again, and Danny quickly answered it. "Ed Deline's office."   
  
"You two may have won the battle, kid," the familiar voice of Keller said, "But the war is far from over."   
  
Danny was about to make a come back when the line went dead. He looked over to see that a smirking Ed had hung up. He shook his head in disgust as Danny could tell that he somehow knew who had called.  
  
"They really should look at taking away that one phone call privilege for some of them." Ed commented with a smile.   
  
"Yeah." Danny agreed with a nod.   
  
"Oh, Danny?" Ed said as he walked back over to the window.   
  
"Yeah?" Danny asked curiously.   
  
"Get your feet off of my desk." Ed ordered, not turning around. Not wanting to incur the wrath of Ed Deline, McCoy immediately did what he was told.   
  
The End 


End file.
